APPARATUS ROOM
DETROIT FOUNDATION HOTEL Detroit , Michigan
CHEF : Thomas Lents CUISINE : New American rooted in Midwestern ingredients SIGNATURE DISH : Pici with coney style Bolognese and fresh horseradish . The Bolognese sauce is made with beef heart , the traditional meat in coney style chili for coney dogs , a Detroit dish . AVERAGE CHECK : US $ 70 OPENED : May 2017
Local market positioning : The iconic location in the old Detroit Fire Headquarters and the amazing design physically place us apart . We were the first boutique hotel to hit the market that had a top-notch food and beverage program attached to it .
What ’ s been tweaked since opening : We have been much busier than projected , and our adjustments to equipment , staffing and operations infrastructure have been substantial . When we built the hotel , we thought we ’ d do about half of what we ’ re doing in food and beverage revenue .
We were just exceeding expectations so greatly out of the gate , and when you go into a building that has an adaptive , re-use style concept , you ’ re limited to square footage . Later this year , we are adding additional refrigeration to meet demand .
Most successful promotion : Jazz Brunch is the second Sunday of every month and is gaining steam . It provides us with an opportunity to support local jazz musicians in a historical venue that brings people together as a place of community . We consistently bring in over 200 covers each Jazz Brunch Sunday , so the cost of the band is more than covered .
Biggest operations challenges : Managing expenses and especially labor is most difficult when there is a lack of historical trends and metrics to lean on . It is now easier as we enter our third year of operation and better understand the impact of citywide conventions and other demand generators . We also calculate and manage each line item down to a cost per occupied room number on the hotel side and a percentage of revenue in the restaurant .
Future plans : We will continue to develop our concept with the inclusion of an in-house butcher shop , as we are getting approvals for it right now so we can process our meats in-house , and the development of our Chef Table incubator space . But our focus will be on continuing to develop our culture of hospitality in our staff and with our guests , and strengthen our collaborations with partners in the city .
Advice for hoteliers : We look at our space very much as a restaurant with hotels rooms built on top . This turns the traditional hotel format on its head a bit , but it has really centered us as a place in the community , a place in Detroit . The F & B component of our hotel is our connection to our community and makes us able to welcome in visitors as a true ambassador of our city and community .
24 hotelsmag . com September 2019